Tape drives are widely used for storing information in digital form. These tape drives commonly use a storage tape having a thin film of magnetic material which receives the information. Typically, the storage tape is guided with a plurality of tape guides between a pair of spaced apart reels, past a data transducer, also referred to herein as a tape head. The tape head records information onto the moving storage tape and/or reads information from the moving storage tape.
In one type of tape drive, one of the reels is part of the tape drive, while the other reel is part of a removable cartridge. For this type of tape drive, the reel that is a part of the tape drive is commonly referred to as a take-up reel, while the reel that is a part of the cartridge is commonly referred to as a cartridge reel. Typically, a cartridge leader on one end of the storage tape is automatically coupled to a drive leader that is connected to the take-up reel during insertion of the cartridge into the tape drive.
The cartridge leader and the drive leader are typically formed from materials that are more robust than the storage tape. Further, in one type of tape drive, a buckle formed from rigid materials such as metal or plastic is secured to the cartridge leader. The buckle engages the drive leader upon insertion of the cartridge into the tape drive. The procedure of connecting the drive leader to the cartridge leader is commonly referred to as buckling. Subsequently, during ejection of the cartridge, the cartridge leader is unbuckled from the drive leader.
During buckling and unbuckling, the buckle, the drive leader and/or the cartridge leader pass in close proximity and can actually contact the tape head. This contact can cause excessive or premature wear to the tape head, or can permanently damage the tape head.
Additionally, electrostatic discharge (ESD) is a major concern in the use of tape heads in tape drives. This is particularly true in the case of magneto-resistive (MR) heads, which are generally used in modern high-density tape technology. In some tape drives, the drive leader and/or the cartridge leader build up static charge from moving friction, thereby creating electrostatic discharge problems that can irreparably damage the tape head when the leaders come in contact with the tape head.
Moreover, high contact pressures are generated during movement of the storage tape over the tape head, stripping any surface contamination and weakly attached particles from the tape. These contaminants accumulate on the tape head, causing spacing loss between the tape head and the tape. Spacing loss can result from slots within the tape head being filled with debris, which can render the slots less effective. Spacing loss can also result from piles of debris accumulating over the tape head, which physically causes the tape to lift off the tape head, thereby resulting in reading and/or writing errors. One attempt to remove contaminants from the vicinity of the tape head includes using a removable cleaning cartridge that is periodically inserted into the tape drive. Unfortunately, using a separate cleaning cartridge is somewhat time consuming and can require specific scheduling by the user to perform such cleanings.
In light of the above, the need exists to provide a tape drive that protects the tape head from damage caused by contact with the buckle, tape leaders and the like. A further need exists to provide a tape drive that cleans the tape head without wasting undue time, and without relying on scheduling by the user to perform the cleaning operation.